Chapter 29: Shou Ta Yi Bing "A Tale of Love and Loyalty"
FlamingoBees
Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)
Shou Ta Yi Bing "A Tale of Love and Loyalty"
Chapter 29:
The End
Pei Qing was exhausted and on the brink of sleep, half-awake and feeling someone licking her. "Qing'er, don’t sleep, okay?"
Despite Pei Qing’s usually polite and modest demeanor, she didn’t want to engage with the person beside her at the moment. Xiao Yuan, reluctant to pull away, breathed in her fragrant hair and gently asked, “Can we do it again?”
If Pei Qing had the strength, she would have slapped him. She closed her eyes and ignored him, and the person beside her fell silent as expected.
But the silence didn’t last long; Pei Qing soon felt something different and quickly opened her eyes to look at him.
Seeing her reddened eyes, Xiao Yuan paused and asked, “Does it still hurt?”
Pei Qing squirmed a little.
He chuckled softly, “Then just talk to me.”
Pei Qing nodded. Xiao Yuan withdrew, and she immediately blushed as she tried to get up.
Xiao Yuan grabbed her and asked, “Where are you going?”
Pei Qing was pulled back onto Xiao Yuan’s lap, and he soon realized why she was so eager to get up. But then he wondered if she didn’t want to be with him.
Xiao Yuan’s hand gently brushed over Pei Qing’s flat stomach. “Do you... not want to be pregnant?”
Pei Qing was taken aback. “What?”
Xiao Yuan continued, “Having many sons is not always good for a royal family. If you don’t want to, it’s fine. Having Xiao Jin'an is enough.”
Pei Qing sat quietly for a moment in his embrace, contemplating, and then felt that he must have misunderstood.
“I don’t not want it.” She cupped his face and looked into his eyes seriously. “It is my duty as Empress to bear children for the royal family and to expand the lineage. I understand that.”
“There’s no should or shouldn’t here,” Xiao Yuan said softly. “Pei Qing, I will never force you.”
He had exchanged his life to spend the rest of it with her and would never let her suffer like Pei Wan did. Compared to her, having or not having children was insignificant.
Hearing his words, Pei Qing’s heart softened, and tears welled up in her eyes. She unconsciously entwined her fingers with Xiao Yuan’s and said softly, “I’m willing. If we could have another child like Jin'an, I would be more than happy.”
Xiao Yuan frowned, hesitated, and then spoke. His camp was full of men, from young boys to grizzled old soldiers, none of whom he found pleasant. They were always noisy and troublesome, and it annoyed him greatly.
“What’s wrong?” Pei Qing asked. “Don’t you like Jin'an?”
Xiao Yuan shook his head and, with genuine seriousness, said, “I want a little princess. Pei Qing, would you give me a sweet and obedient princess?”
Seeing his earnest expression, Pei Qing thought it was something serious and couldn’t help but laugh. She playfully wrapped her arms around his neck and teased, “What if the princess isn’t sweet and obedient?”
“Then I would still love her,” Xiao Yuan said, hugging her. “I’ll make sure our daughter lives freely and happily, without suffering any of the hardships you’ve endured.”
Xiao Yuan ascended the throne, and Pei Qing remained Empress. However, the Pei family was the most anxious among the court officials. Being summoned to the Imperial Study on the first day of the new Emperor’s reign, only to be coldly received, was enough to make anyone break into a cold sweat and stay awake all night.
Xiao Yuan only asked a few coolly indifferent questions, but when Pei Zhi Heng, Master Pei, returned that day, he immediately sold off his most favored concubine and even sent his troublesome son, Pei Cheng, into soft confinement at a countryside estate.
The concubines who had previously abused and insulted her and her sister ended up in a miserable state. Although Pei Qing did not show any outward signs of her feelings, she spent an entire night kneeling in front of her sister’s spirit, speaking her heart.
As Empress, even with vast power, she was unable to deal with her maternal relatives. Any such actions would lead to scandal and undermine her role as the "Mother of the Nation." Thus, she had often wondered what use such great power was if in the end, she could only find solace in the words "let it be."
What Pei Qing did not expect was that Xiao Yuan remembered everything.
Xiao Yuan pulled the blanket around her and, seeing her about to cry again, joked, “What, now you realize my kindness? I’m so benevolent that I’ve been manipulated by that sickly man.”
Although it was a jest meant to make her smile, the words from Xiao Yuan's mouth still pained her.
Pei Qing had initially been puzzled, but after Xiao Yuan ascended the throne, she finally understood the last words Xiao Jing had said to her.
“Pei Qing, allow me to be selfish just this once.” These words echoed in her heart.
After Xiao Yuan’s ascension, he was inundated with complex matters, each more troublesome than the last. Inside the court, there were ministers to deal with and others to pacify. Outside the court, remnants of rebel forces were scattered and causing chaos among the people. Further afield, rival nations were watching closely, waiting for the new Emperor to become fully established so they could seize the opportunity to cause trouble.
Everything, all of it, fell upon Xiao Yuan’s shoulders because of that will. It transformed him from a leisurely prince who could have lived a comfortable life in Nanchuan into a ruler burdened with the weight of the empire.
This is what allowed Xiao Ji'an to grow up peacefully in the palace, without having to worry about becoming a target.
Pei Qing gradually understood what Xiao Jing meant by being selfish.
Being an emperor was not necessarily the most gratifying thing. He did not want Xiao Ji'an to face the same unfulfilled ambitions and grand plans that had led him to a state of chronic illness.
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What a happier ending than the drama! How did you feel the story compared? I do wish the drama had explored more of her family background... but that is my only complaint. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought in the comments:)
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